A woman's gown of ivory satin figured with meandering trails of foliage and leaf-bearing cornucopias an dbrocaded in a pattern of large bunches of flowers in pink, brown, maroon and blue-green silk The gown is in the English (tight-back) style, open at the front with elbow-length sleeves with small pleated cuffs. The bodice meets at centre front. The bodice and sleeves are lined with pieced linen. The pleats at centre back are stitched down. The skirt is made of 4 widths of silk, with two half-widths stiched together on the left front. A waist seam runs from the front opening to either side of the centre back pleats. The skirts are flat-pleated into the waist seam. The hem is faced with a deep band of white silk taffeta.
The gown was possibly made as a gown in the 1750s and reconfigured in the late 1770s for a narrower hoop. The robings were unpicked and opened out to meet at centre front, and sleeve ruffles replaced with cuffs.
In the late 19th century the gown was altered for fancy dress. Insertions of silk were added to the front edges of the bodice to fit a late 19th century corset, along with hooks and thread bar fastenings. The waist at the back was shortened and darts inserted in the cuffs to make them smaller. Patches of coarse wool flannel were added to the armholes in the inside. Muslin frills (now removed - parts B & C) were sewn to the cuffs, and a muslin edging (now removed - part A) to the neckline.